Mass. rape suspect was suspected in now-closed Hampton case, too

HAMPTON — A Massachusetts man charged with raping at least two women in his car in 2010 was a prime suspect in a 2004 rape case in Hampton that was never prosecuted by county attorneys.

Kenneth Poirier, 40, appeared last week in Salem Superior Court in Massachusetts as prosecutors pushed to revitalize their case against him.

Poirier is currently charged with raping a woman on May 23, 2010 and another on Oct. 10, 2010 in Methuen, Mass.

But he was released from prison in August after his initial unrelated arrest— which led him to being identified as a rape suspect— was thrown out by a judge.

During the hearing, prosecutors said that DNA linked Poirier to unsolved rapes in Methuen, Hampton, N.H. and a 1988 case.

The new information was enough to persuade Judge John Lu to have Poirier rearrested and held on $50,000 cash bail.

Unless he make bail, Poirier will remain in custody until his trial.

Poirier was released from jail last August, when Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley ruled Methuen police had no legal basis to stop his car and arrest him in October 2010. According to court documents, Poirier was pulled over by an officer in an industrial/commercial area. While the officer admitted to seeing no violations, he pulled Poirier over and discovered their was an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

It was that booking photo from that arrest which was used to aid police in identifying him as an alleged rapist.

But in his decision to throw out the evidence, the judge wrote that a police officer conducted a “warrantless stop.”

As a result, Feeley ruled the evidence sized must be suppressed, including the booking photo which allowed the victim to identify her rapist.

Poirier is currently facing four counts of rape, kidnapping and indecent assault and battery. Police allege Poirier forced a woman into his car on Oct. 10, 2010 and then raped her.

Police allege he altered or removed a handle on the passenger door of his red 1995 Pontiac Grand Am to prevent victim from fleeing the car.

Shortly after his arrest another victim came forward accusing him of similar crime on May 23, 2010.

So far, Poirier has not been charged with additional rapes that prosecutors brought up last week.

Hampton Police Lt. Dan Gidley said Poirier was a suspect in a 2004 rape case investigated by their department.

The department’s old case came up after Methuen authorities ran Poirier’s DNA.

“They put a DNA request out and all the towns that had pending cases popped up,” said GidleyGidley said the Hampton case is closed.

“The county attorney’s office declined prosecution on our case back then because he never denied it and claimed it was consensual,” Gidley said.

Gidley noted there were other issues with the case that prevented it from being brought forward.